Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Impact of religion in society
Impact of religion in society
The effects of religion on society
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Impact of religion in society
Faith is the reasoning of the absurd to satisfy the inevitable To live one’s life based on religious faith is a very personal question, one that on many occasions I have stated that in coping with the inevitable it may be a necessity for some to live comforted by their faith. To me faith is something that is transient, it is constantly adjusted by knowledge and actions of ourselves and others. One example is that of love and the faith that is between two people. I believe this is probably the best way to look at faith because the situation is reciprocated between the people involved, and is made even more precious from the fact that it can easily be lost between them through words or action. Now to take a look at religious faith, this type …show more content…
First in my mind is the use of faith as a scape goat in order to vindicate ones actions. This can take many forms, and has throughout human history lead to many wars and persecutions simply based on what one set of people put their faith in did not match what another groups faith believes. Some of the major examples that come to mind range from the crusades to acts such as persecution and enslavement of the native inhabitants of the Americas by the European countries justified by faith in religion that they believed justified them to do so because the natives were no more than soulless beasts to eventually be saved through conversion to their religion. Even to current times with extremists justifying the killing of innocents because they do not believe in the correct god. Do not take the last section as a rant it is just an emphasis on some of the history of what religious faith can bring about. I do understand that many of these acts were carried out by extremist in their religions and may not point to the general populous of that religion. However, it does help me make a point about of one of the weaknesses I eluded to earlier. A common quote that I have heard many times sums up this weakness rather nicely “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” To me this fits well and actually leads into my thoughts on the book fear and
Religion is a part of society that is so closely bound to the rest of one’s life it becomes hard to distinguish what part of religion is actually being portrayed through themselves, or what is being portrayed through their culture and the rest of their society. In Holy Terrors, Bruce Lincoln states that religion is used as a justifiable mean of supporting violence and war throughout time (Lincoln 2). This becomes truly visible in times such as the practice of Jihad, the Reformation, and 9/11. The purpose of this essay is to show that as long as religion is bound to a political and cultural aspect of a community, religious war and destruction will always occur throughout the world. A historical methodology will be deployed in order to gain
...lt of the Christian religion itself, perhaps the present religious conflict could be resolved. We, too, have the obligation to remember that the strain of Islam that has come to fore in these days of terrorist attacks, is but an extremist fanatical derivation or a religion that also has a pure and good basis. We should all make sure that religion is not a "mere covering for the most horrid crimes--a justifying of the most appalling barbarity...in which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds...find the strongest protection" (1059) as it was in the days of slavery in the southern U. S. and in the life of Frederick Douglass.
I will explore the relationship between faith and belief. At first glance, most of us will have the same thought that there is no difference between faith and belief. However, if we carefully examine them in detail, we will recognize their differences. Consider the difference in the meaning of “belief” in the following propositions: “I believe it will rain tomorrow” and “I believe 2+2=4.” Our general purpose is to express our thoughts to others and show them what things we want to believe. Shortly, our belief can be changed depending on our mood or our different cultures. When we’re talking about our faith, we must keep it in constancy. We can not say today our faith is this and tomorrow is on another. Therefore, the difference between faith and belief can be express as: faith is constant, and belief is varied. Faith shows “X-experiences and pre-cu...
“history is written by the victors”(Winston Churchill). Conflict has been deeply engrained into the history of mankind. For thousands of years all across the globe the prevalent aspect in which mass conflict has surrounded was that of differing religious practices. With all that is good that comes from religion, much evil is directly following. This conflict over religious views has caused hundreds of years of war in some parts of the world as well as problems that can range from day to day in your home. In the book Lame Deer, Seeker of visions religion can be seen at the base of all the struggle between the Native American people and the European Colonist that moved in to take over their land. Religion has been used for centuries to explain the surrounding world, but it only seems to pertain to the people practicing these beliefs. People through history have used their religions to justify their own personal desires even if they were not always the ideas of the religious institution.
Nelson, Jack. Is religion killing us?violence in the Bible and the Quran / Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer.. 2003 Print.
Religion’s place in causing war doesn’t lie solely in the fact it has essentially become a glorified competition, it is also caused by the incredibly strong influence it has over society. It plays a critical role in the lives of millions of people, and thus becomes deeply personal for the individual. There are several reasons for this. Theology falls under the category of social
Throughout history most religions have been primarily based around putting their God above all others, and showing love and acceptance, however in today’s society religion appears to be the fuel to a fire of hate. Religion as a whole has become the most controversial and the most violent cause behind some of the most world breaking news, from wars in the Middle East, to death threats to doctors in my home town. This violent mentality of religion first is demonstrated in the short story A Father by Bharati Mukherjee. In this short story the main character, Mr Bhowmick, creates a miserable life for himself based on what his religion says is acceptable. His family, however, lived life and cherished the freedoms of living in America by creating happiness and accomplishment in their lives. The jealousy of Mr. Bhowmick for a more joyful existence is demonstrated when his religion drives him to an act of violence out of anger and hate.
For many people, religion is a very touchy subject. For most, it is a personal decision; people choose a faith that aligns with their beliefs, ideas, and faiths. Although people would like to think that religion is a personal decision, and they can adapt it to how they feel and what they believe, in practice, that is not the case. Religion represents a commitment to a set of principles that are not moldable, adaptable, or flexible. Religion, although it may be a personal belief, is extremely defined, with little to no room for flexibility.
...gion” developed by socialism of religion. She warns of “the global upsurge of religiously inspired violence” caused by “National Socialism” (Kurtz). Kurtz questions whether collective faith is beneficial to nations as a whole.
Throughout the course of history, man has looked to religion for answers. Curiosity as to how we got here and why we are have driven people to seek out answers to these somewhat unanswerable questions. Over the past few thousand years, several varying religions have been established, some more prominent than others. Many of them share a similar story of a divine creator who has always been and will always be. In the case of Christianity, whether true or not, it has proven to be beneficial to society as a whole. The Bible set the standard for the moral compass that humans live their lives by to this day. The key fundamental problem with religion, although not the fault of religion, is that man has often used it as a gateway to power and prominence. In the case of the 18th century Gallican church, the French were abusing their religious powers, thus creating vast inequality throughout France, which eventually led to a rebellion against the church, and the eventual destruction of the church within France.
In a world of change, death is the only constant; the prospect of death inspires fear in the majority of humanity. It is therefore a choice that one must take in order to adhere to the pressure of fear and truly be terrified of death as well having a miserable life. Or one could choose to live to the fullest and not care about death. The notion of death is merely an end point on the timeline of life and it is time that is so critical, that we must take advantage of the little time we have on this earth to motivate and make not only one’s self happy but help everyone around him. Whether a person is truly religious or is not religious at all we will all die eventually no one is immortal and therefore everyone should be happy and live life to its maximum
Most importantly, the fact that religions effects on society can be so broad, really says more about human psychology than it does about religion. As quoted by David Hart,” Religious conviction often provides the sole compelling reason for refusing to kill. Or for seeking peace. the truth is that religion and irreligion are cultural variables but killing is a human constant”.
Religious Fundamentalism is not a modern phenomenon, although, it has received a rise in the late twentieth century. It occurs differently in different parts of the world but arises in societies that are deeply troubled or going through a crisis (Heywood, 2012, p. 282). The rise in Religious Fundamentalism can be linked to the secularization thesis, which implies that victory of reason over religion follows modernization. Also, the moral protest of faiths such as Islam and Christianity can be linked to the rise of Religious Fundamentalism, as they protest the influence of corruption and pretence that infiltrate their beliefs from the spread of secularization (Heywood, 2012, p. 283). Religious Fundamentalists have followed a traditional political thought process, yet, have embraced a militant style of activity which often can turn violent (Heywood, 2012, p. 291).
In many aspects of our lives, the use of faith as a basis for knowledge can be found. Whether it is faith in the advice of your teacher, faith in a God or faith in a scientific theory, it is present. But what is faith? A definition of faith in a theory of knowledge context is the confident belief or trust in a knowledge claim by a knower, without the knower having conclusive evidence. This is because if a knowledge claim is backed up by evidence, then we would use reason rather than faith as a basis for knowledge . If we define knowledge as ‘justified true belief’, it can be seen that faith, being without justification, can never fulfill this definition, and so cannot be used as a reliable basis for knowledge. However, the question arises, what if a certain knowledge claim lies outside of the realm of reason? What if a knowledge claim cannot be justified by empirical evidence and reasoning alone, such as a religious knowledge claim? It is then that faith allows the knower to decide what is knowledge and what is not, when something cannot be definitively proved through the use of evidence. When assessing faith as a basis for knowledge in the natural sciences, the fact arises that without faith in the research done before us, it is impossible to develop further knowledge on top of it. Yet at the same time, if we have unwavering faith in existing theories, they would never be challenged, and so our progress of knowledge in the natural sciences would come to a standstill. Although I intend to approach this essay in a balanced manner, this essay may be subject to a small degree of bias, due to my own non-religious viewpoint.
Religion is commonly defined as a group of beliefs concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions and rituals associated with such beliefs (Wikipedia, 2006). Most of the major religions have evolved over the centuries into what they are today. In many cultures and times, religion has been the basic foundation of life, permeating all aspects of human existence (Fisher, 2002). Religion is passed on from generation to generation. My religious beliefs were passed on from my relatives on my mother's side. My family has believed in the Catholic faith for many generations. Since I grew up in the Catholic faith I went to Catholic schools my entire childhood. My personal experiences and the Catholic faith made me into the person I am today. Without a religious upbringing I feel that there would have been something missing in my life.